The humpback whale-watching season has opened in French Polynesia as these large animals prepare to leave their winter tropical breeding grounds and migrate to polar oceanic waters.

Some humpback whale specialists estimate that between 300 and 1,000 such whales can visit French Polynesia waters, where they spend the winter, mainly for mating. These whales are observed in French Polynesia between June and December, but the best time to observe them is between August and October.

The humpback whales’ favorite areas in this sprawling territory are Tahiti and Moorea in the Windward Islands; the Austral Islands to the far south; the Marquesas Islands to the far north on occasion; and increasingly in the Tuamotu Archipelago.

Several scuba diving clubs throughout Tahiti and her islands offer whale-watching excursions during the times of the year when the humpback whales are most numerous.

These are relatively easy whales to observe, the humpback being one of the most acrobatic of all whales. On occasion this whale measuring between 12 and 16 meters (40-52 feet) in length may perform a somersault by leaping from the water belly up, arching backwards and plunging headfirst back into the water with a loud slapping sound. When making deep dives, it hunches its back and rolls steeply forward, bringing its tail vertically clear of the water.

There are several types of whales observed in French Polynesia, but the humpback whale represents about 99% of the certified sightings.